


Alexander's Background Story

by Li_La_Lou



Series: Hamilton - Circus AU [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Gen, Other, circus AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 20:09:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15226932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Li_La_Lou/pseuds/Li_La_Lou
Summary: This is a short story of how Alexander came to the Circus. It's for my Hamilton Circus AU, which you can find on tumblr (@ lilalou-draws). Enjoy.





	Alexander's Background Story

Alexander's breath turned into small clouds of fog in front of his face, veiling his vision. Not like it mattered. Not like he was going somewhere particular. Direction wasn't important right how – speed was.

He had to get away and he had to be fast.

 

Even though Alex knew he would be in even bigger trouble than he was already in if he got caught, he couldn't help but grin. The sirens blended in with the sounds of the city, creating a familiar tune. A song Alexander had known ever since he was a child. He felt more like he was dancing rather than running.

The cold air burned with ever breath he took – still he could not feel more alive. It took all the self-control he had to not laugh at the top of his lungs.

 

They had had him! They had already had him and he still got away!

This glorious triumph over the two police officers made him worry a lot less about the handcuffs around his wrists. The feeling of victory gave him wings and made him run faster than he had thought he could possibly be.

Still, this was not the time to become high-spirited.

He had brought some distance between himself and the police car coming after him but he still had to outrun an automobile and that was a challenge even to someone like him, who was used to the grown up version of playing chase. He was good at it. He never got tagged.

And he didn't exactly want to change that today so he needed to find a place to hide.

 

Fortuna seemed to be with Alexander once again.

Right when he felt like he was running out of breath, he spotted the tip of something like a tent not too far away.

Memories flashed behind his eyes of posters he had seen in town, followed by a spark of childish happiness. Oh, what a lovely place to hide would a circus make?

 

While Alex watched the tents coming closer he began to feel small raindrops like needles sinking into his skin. Seconds later it was raining heavily, aggressively down on him. If Alex had believed in gods, he would probably wonder if they were fighting right now whether to let him get away or not. But he didn't and therefore the only thought crossing his mind in that moment was, that he was already to close to give up now. Even though the muddy ground was getting more and more slippery with the rain pooling in its unevenness.

He was tripping more than he was running at this point but something, an uncertain feeling of safety, made him believe that the policemen had an even harder time keeping up.

He hadn't been caught yet after all.

 

He didn't allow himself to turn around and check on his chasers until he had reached the first trailer. His feet slipped away when he came to a stop, he went to his knees but was back up the second later. Jeez, not being able to freely move his hands surely did suck. Still, he found a hidden spot behind the trailer to pause and spy.

The police officers were nowhere to be seen and he made a mental remark to pat himself on the back for that great escape once he had had the time to free this wrists from those stupid cuffs.

Now he was to readjust his behavior. He couldn't just run around like a crazy man around here after all. There were people - and as far as the posters had told him, some animals too – sleeping in these trailers whom he certainly did not want to wake.

 

He stayed where he was for just a few more beat, catching his breath. But even though he was already soaked to the bones, staying out in the rain wasn't an exactly pleasurable feeling. He needed some shelter from the bad weather and maybe some warmth around him. That would be just it right now.

Hoping to find clothes that would fit him was too much to ask for and he knew that but maybe he was luck enough to find a blanket. Luck had been on his side earlier today, so maybe it still was with him.

 

Alexander shooed around the empty place, eavesdropping at every trailer and tent he passed, holding his breath to find out whether or not someone inside was breathing. Shamefully, in most of them he imagined to hear sleeping noises. He wasn't entirely sure if they were really there or just a product of his mildly paranoid mind. Not like he was going to risk it either way.

There was no need to take that risk anyway. Eventually he passed a tent which offered a relieving silence within its walls.

Of course, being as experiences in his doings and he could possibly be at his age, Alex wouldn't get careless now.

As slowly as his muscles would possibly move, he pushed the cloth aside, which was blocking the entrance of the tent – just a little at first to peek inside.

It didn't seem like there was any sort of moving, so Alex allowed himself to sigh in relieve. It appeared to be some sort of storeroom. Boxes and bales were laying around on the floor and stacked other each other. Alex couldn't tell what was stored here – whether it was food or costumes – but at least it didn't seem to be anything alive which could be potentially dangerous or loud.

He looked around one last time, making sure that no one was watching, then he slit into the tent.

 

It was surprisingly warm inside but most importantly it was dry. Another sigh of relieve escaped Alexander's lips, as he let himself sink down to the floor. He hadn't realizes how exhausted he was until now. His legs arched, let alone his wrists. They were sore from the constant friction his cuffs caused.

Time to get rid of these.

 

But before he got any further than having the mud-speckled chain rattle a bit, there was a sound outside of his hiding place.

Quick in his reaction and silent in his movement, Alex crawled behind one of the boxed, holding his breath as not to make any unnecessary sound.

The cloth moved. Alex didn't.

He could here wind and rain outside of the tent. And he could hear steps inside of it. He felt the movement of the other person and he felt trapped. There was no way he could get out of here without being seen. The only chance he had was, that his unwanted visitor took what he needed out of the tent and just left.

That wasn't the case.

Instead a man's voice came out of the dark. It was strong but it still felt warm and somewhat soothing.

 

“Hey, You can come out. I won't cause you any trouble.”, the voice said and something inside of Alex made him want to believe it. Made him want to trust that man.

Popping his head out from behind the box was the most unreasonable choice he had made today – and he had been running from the police for breaking and entering just moments ago. Still he felt like it was the right one.

In the dark he could see the silhouette of a man, most likely taller than him but most people were taller than him. From what the shape of the man and the few details of his face he could see told him, Alexander figured that it had to be Mister George Washington, the ringmaster of the circus himself.

For a moment Alex wondered how the man had figured out his presents so fast – then he saw his muddy footsteps on the tents floor and didn't wonder any longer.

 

Washington gave Alex a strict look but the edges of his mouth were curled into smile. “Has no one told you that you're not allowed to just sneak into other people's tents?”

“Not to put too fine a point on it, Sir, but has no one told you that people will sneak in, if you don't lock your stuff?”, Alex replied, out of the habit of being cocky.

A chuckle was the last reaction he expected.

“Quick with the mouth, huh?”, Washington said with a smile. Alex was more used to people disapproving this kind of behavior. Of course he wouldn't complain, though he was a little confused.

“However-”, the taller man said, now back to a more serious tone, “What got you into this? I may assume you didn't just run around in the rain in the middle of the night for fun?”

 

Alex hesitated. It was obvious that 'I ran from the cops for breaking into a jewelry store' wasn't the answer that would make Washington let him stay for the night, let alone willingly hide him from the police. Shamefully Alex's hands were still cuffed together and even though he had a very creative mind, it wouldn't be easy to come up with a believable excuse for that.

Instead he would go for the way which would most likely lead to him spending the rest of the night here. As little and as harmless information as possible.

 

He took a deep breath, then he stepped out of his hiding place. His cuffed wrists were now on full display for Washington and the warm expression in his face was replaced by a frown as soon as he laid his eye on them.

“I will under no circumstances host criminals at my circus.”

His voice was colder now – stricter. It made Alex twitch.

“That's not- Look, I wasn't doing anything wrong. I never hurt anyone. I was just trying to make my living!”, Alex tried to defend himself. Washington's face didn't change much.

“You should better get going before I call the police.”

“No! No, please.”, Alex quickly said, clumsily putting his hands together, begging. “Please – I _promise_ I won't cause any trouble. Just let me stay over night and I will be gone in the morning. I swear it's not what you think.”

 

Washington wasn't really convinced. But Alex wasn't willing to drop his case yet. So he talked. And talked.

And slowly Washington's features softened so Alexander talked some more.

Eventually Washington gave a long, weary sigh.

Alexander paused – giving Washington a chance to make up his mind.

The taller man slowly raised his index finger. “One night. Not more.”, he said, sounding very tired.

“I promise you won't regret it!”, Alex smiled widely. He had always been good at taking his way out of problems but he was always happy when he managed to do it again.

 

Washington, for his part, wasn't happy about the whole situation at all – In fact he was mostly concerned. He just gave another sigh and ran his hand over his face. “I sure hope so. Let's first get these things off your hands.”

Alex stopped. Then he chuckled.

“That won't be a problem, sir”, he smiled, lifting the handcuffs, they were open and dangling from the young man's sprawled out index finger.

His monologue had offered him more than enough time to wiggle his hands out of the uncomfortable accessory. Washington had been too focused on listening to pay attention to what Alexander's hand had been doing.

Now he gave the shorter man a look, vaguely surprised look.

 

“How did you do that?”, he asked after a few beats. Alexander just shrugged it off.

“Not the first time someone tried to tie me up. A man gotta know how to get out of a situation he doesn't want to be in.”

“Can you do that again? With other things than handcuffs too?”

Saying that Alex wasn't confused by the man's behavior would be a lie – Still, he wouldn't complain about any interest the circuses ringmaster had in him. This was a save place to stay, so it would have nothing but advantages to be well-liked here.

“Yeah.”, he said, after a short moment of consideration. “I can do it with ropes too. Been tied to pipes once and to a chair like two or three times, so that works. I've never tried wire straps though... Why?”

 

Throughout his life Alex had gotten many weird answers to the question 'Why'. 'Because I say so' was a classic. The most curious one had been 'To get the damn sheep out of here', which had made perfect sense back in the situation he had heard it but looking back to it, it was still off. What he would hear now, however, was the most unexpected answer he had ever gotten.

 

“Can you imagine working for my Circus?”

He blinked at Washington of a moment, a part of him wasn't sure if he had understood the other man right, another part, the part that had faith in Alexander's physical abilities, was sure Washington was messing with him.

“Your Circus...? You mean as-”

“As one of the acts, yes”,Washington interrupted before Alex could even fully voice his thoughts. “You see, young man, running a circus isn't as easy as it used to be back in the days. Many of my artists have decided to settle for a more steady life and I can't blame them for it. Still this puts me in a difficult situation, having hardly enough artists to keep the show going.”

“Wait wait wait!” Now it was Alex to talk over Washington. “You mean, you're hiring me?! For real?!”

“Only if you want, of course. And I would prefer to call it a test run for now. You can practice with my people and maybe join one or two shows. If thing are working out, you can stay. But if you cause any problems or if I ever catch you putting a finger on something that isn't yours, you will be in big trouble. Got it?”

“Got it!”, Alex nodded, vibrating with excitement. He hasn't entirely comprehended that this was actually happening but he couldn't get the broad grin off his face either. Who wouldn't want to work for a circus? Especially if your trading a life full of running and insecurity for it.

“Then we have a deal”, Washington nodded and held out his hand.

 

As Alexander took it, he had no idea yet, what a well fitting name 'family Circus' was for this weird little pile of people he soon wouldn't be able to live without anymore.

 


End file.
